Universal joint



July 11, 1944. G. E. DUNN 2,353,299

UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed May 8, 1941 ATTO EYS.

Patented July 11, 1944 UN IVER SAL JOINT George E. Dunn, Dearborn, Mich,assignor to Universal Products Company Incorporated, Dearborn, Mich., acorporation of Delaware Application May 8, 1941, Serial No. 392,449

Claims.

The invention relates generally to universal joints, has particularrelation to a universal joint of self-aligning character.

In certain respects, the invention is related to that embodied in mycop-ending application for patent, Serial No. 353,015, filed August 17,1940, and to my copending application for patent, Serial No. 383.744,filed March 17, 1941, and issued as Patents 2,276,279 and 2,270,230,respectively, on January 20, 1942.

In the first mentioned copending application for patent, a universaljoint is disclosed which includes a cross having trunnions and ballmembers turnable thereon, and a pair of yoke members having sockets forreceiving theball mem- Roller bearings are employed within the balls andaround the trunnions, and se1f-alignmen-t of the ball. members enablesobtaining full roller bearing contact regardless of torque conditions.This avoids localized roller bearing engagement through initial relativemovement of the trunnions and yokes circumierentially of the joint axisin the taking up of slight clearances or manufacturing tolerancesthrough any subsequent flexing or bending of the trunnions under torqueload. Full roller bearing contact increases the torque capacity of thejoint and if the rollers are subjected to localized bearing engagement,the torqued capacity is reduced.

(me object of the present invention is to provide adaptng means enablingapplication of selfaligning ball elements to universal joint yokestructures of known types.

Other objects of l invention will become apparent from the followingspecification, from the drawing relating thereto, and from the claimshereinafter set forth.

For a better understandin of the invention, reference may be had to thedrawing wherein:

Figure l. is a longitudinal View, partly in crosssection, of a universaljoint constructed according to one form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in crosssection, of thestructure shown by Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 33of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 illustrate forms of adapter elements applicable to theyoke structure shown in cross-section in Fig. 1; and

Figs. '7, 8. 9 and 10 illustrate adapter structures applicable to eitherof the yoke structures shown.

The universal joint illustrated corresponds generally, excepting forselfaligning features mentioned heretofore, to the universal joint shownin Wellner Patent No; 2,124,803. Briefly, the

ill

joint includes a yoke iii having arms I! and I2 disposed indiametrically opposed relation. Each of the arms has a semi-cylindricalrecess [4 for receiving a bearing element, but it should be noted thatside parts i5 and I6 of the arm project beyond the axial center line ofthe recess and that the inner surfaces of these parts are substantiallytangential to the surfaces at the ends of the semioyl ndrical part ofthe recess.

The cross indicated at l8 may correspond to that disclosed in thecopending application, Serial No. 383,744, previously mentioned, and itincludes four trunnions, each of which is indicated at l9. Each trunnionprojects into a two-part ball member having small cylindrical rollers l1and the bearing assembly thus provided may correspond to that disclosedin the mentioned copending application for patent. It may be added thatthe bearing assembly is sealed by means of a ferrule 2 i, which retainsa rubber sealing ring 22 in position between the ends of the ball memberand a shoulder on the base of the trunnion. A wear ring, ilhlstrated at2 is located between the inner ends of the rollers and the shoulder 23on the trunnion.

Now, for maintaining the ban members in the provided yoke arms H and I2,so that the self-aligning features may be obtained, an adapter element25 is provided for each recess and the adapter element shown in Figs. 1and 2 corresponds to the detail-ed illustration in i and 5. This adapterelement has a slightly greater than semi-spherical recess 28 forreceiving the ball member 20 and assembly of the adapter with the ball.is efiected by slight springing of the ends of the element apart so thatthe ball snaps into the recess. It will be appreciated that the adaptermay be constructed of suitable steel for taking care of torque loadsimparted to 1; through the yolre arms and ball members and that it willpermit the springing apart of the ends suftoiently to allow snapping ofthe ball member irto position. At its end, toward the center of thejoint, the adapter element has a shoulder 2"! adapted to underlie theinner surface 2%. of the yoke arm from which it follows that the adapterlement is centered with respect to the joint axis and that the ballelement will like wise be centered with respect to the joint axis. Itmay noted that the outer surface of the adapter element is ofcylindrical character, as indicated at 3 2, so as to fit the cylindricalrecess With the ball element assembled with the adapter element, theassembly may be moved'into the recess l4 until seated properly thereinwith the shoulder 21 engaging under the yoke arm surface 28. For holdingthe ball element against removal in a direction axially of the joint, aUshaped strap 3| is provided, having a central portion 32 engaging thepart of the ball and this strap has legs 33 and 34 extending alongopposite sides of the yoke arm and having their rear portions connectedby means of bolt fastening means 35. In order to apply pressure to theball, so as to press it into the yoke arm recess, cam surfaces 36 and 37are provided on the straps and yoke arms at opposite sides of thelatter, so that when the bolt is tightened, the strap is drawn axiallyof the joint so as to apply pressure against the ball. It will beunderstood that this pressure is such as to firmly hold the partsassembled while still permitting the ball to adjust itself for thepurposes of alignment with the trunnion and roller bearing.

An adapter construction 49 shown by Fig. 6 may be used in place of theadapter 25 and the difference between the adapters E and H3 is that thelatter has its ends beyond the semispherical part directed parallel soas to provide short cylindrical extensions. In other words, the adapter4i! includes a semi-spherical part adapted to fit one-half of the ballsurface and short projecting portions :1! and 12 having innercylindrical surfaces. It might be said in this connection that across-section taken through either one of the projecting portions 5! and42 would have the same appearance as a cross-section taken through thecurved part of the adapter and that this cross-section would correspondto the configuration shown in Fig. 5:

Another yoke of the joint is indicated at 45, and in this case the yokearm has cylindrical openings, indicated at 46 in Fig. 3. Each openingreceives the same ball, trunnion, and roller bearing assembly previouslydescribed but the adapter element is different. The adapter elementshown in Figs. 2- and 3 corresponds to that illustrated in detail inFigs. 9 and and comprises two parts 27 and 48 having an annular groove49 for receiving a snap ring adapted to engage under a shoulder 5% onthe yoke arm. It will be observed in Fig. 2 that the ring issubstantially greater than semi-circular in dimensions so that bothparts ll and 43 are engaged by it. The adapter is of such dimensionsthat when disposed around the ball and moved radially of the joint axisinto the cylindrical opening 45 of the yoke arm, a sufficiently tightfit will be obtained so as to hold the adapter and ball against turningabout the trunnion axis. This fit, however, is not so tight as toprevent the alignment previously mentioned.

In place of the adapter just described, an annular adapter 55 may beused as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. I'his adapter has a cylindrical opening56 joining a conical bottom 51 at that end of the adapter opposite thegroove 49. It may be assembled with the ball by moving it over the balluntil the latter contacts the conical bottom 51. In this position theball will have contact both with the bottom 51 and the side wall 56 andit is intended that the adapter fit the ball tightly enough to preventturning of the ball about the trunnion axis, while still permitting theself-alignment action. Attention is directed to the fact that theconical bottom 5'! acts to hold the ball in position radially of thejoint axis.

While it has been mentioned that the structures shown by Figs. 4, 5, and6 are applicable to the yoke arms II and I2, it may be stated that theadapters shown by Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 also may be used in conjunctionwith the yoke arms H and 12.

In all cases, the adapter centers the ball with respect to the jointaxis and since the ball has thrust engagement with the end of thetrunnion, centering of the trunnion and cross with respect to the jointaxis is effected through the adapters. It is evident that the adaptersmay be associated with the balls without difficulty and that they may beassociated with the yoke arms very easily. The constructions describedand illustrated enable using adapters and self aligning ball elements injoints of general application and which heretofore have used cylindricalbushings in place of ball elements. the self-aligning features of theball elements can be employed in generally standard types of universaljoints and increase in torque capacity and other advantages andcharacteristics, such as mentioned in the copending applications forpatent previously identified, then become characteristics of thegenerally standard types of universal joints which have been in useheretofore.

Although more than one form of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artthat various modifications may be made without departing from the spiritof the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a self-aligning universal joint of the four trunnion type, abearing assembly comprising a member having an opening of cylindricalcharacter, a trunnion projecting into the opening, a ball element in theopening and having a diametrically extending bore receiving thetrunnion, and an adapter having a cylindrical exterior surface fittingthe opening and having an inner surface engaging around the ball, theadapter having an open side to permit its assembly with the ball bymovement transversely to the axis of the bore in the ball, the width ofthe open side being slightly less than the ball diameter so that theends of the adapter must be sprung apart slightly to allow suchassembly.

2. In a self-aligning universal joint of the four trunnion type, abearing assembly comprising a member having an opening, a trunnionprojecting into the opening, a ball element in the opening and having adiametrical extending bore receiving the trunnion, and an adapter havingits outer surface engaging the wall of the opening in the member andhaving its inner surface embracing the ball, the adapter being greaterthan semi-annular in extent and having an open side to permit assemblywith the ball by movement transversely to the axis of said bore.

3. In a self aligning universal joint of the four trunnion type. abearing assembly comprising a member having an opening, a trunnionprojecting into the opening, a ball element in the opening and having adiametrical extending bore receiving the trunnion, and an adapter havingits outer surface engaging the wall of the opening in the member andhaving its inner surface embracing the ball, the adapter being of Ushape and fitting substantially onehalf of the ball with the legs of theadapter ex- Thus, .7

tending parallel and beyond the ball engaging surface.

4. In a self aligning universal joint of the four trunnion type, abearing assembly comprising a member having a recess which is openlongitudinally of the joint axis, a trunnion projecting radially of thejoint axis and into the recess, a ball element in the opening and havinga diametrically extending bore receiving the trunnion, an adapter havingan external surface fitting the recess, an internal surface engaging theball and having an open side substantially commensurate with the openside of the recess, and means connected to the memher and bridging therecess for engaging the exposed surface of the ball in the open portionof the adapter for retaining the parts assembled.

5. In a self-aligning universal joint of the four-trunnion type having apair of diametrically aligned trunnions, a pair of opposed arms havingdiametrically aligned openings receiving the trunnions, respectively, aball element, in each opening and having a diametrically extending borereceiving the trunnion, an adapter in the opening having an innersurface engaging the ball and an outer surface engaging the wall of theopening, each arm and its adapter having open sides, and a strapreleasably fastened to each arm across the open side for retaining theball and adapter in the opening.

GEORGE E. DUNNv

